That Ol' Black Magic (As You Were)
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: My idea of what the episode, "As You Were" will be about, with Darry and Kellie (my characters). Riley returns to Sunnydale but he's not alone....
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: None of the characters in the show belong to me, everyone else does.   
Author's Note: This is my idea of what's going to happen in the episode when Riley comes back (which is called "As You Were"). Of course, Darry and Kellie are in it.   
Author's Note: Takes place the day (or close) after "Chaos" ended, so this is the sequel to "Chaos."   
Author's Note: It also takes place after "Doublemeat Palace" but before "Dead Things" and "Older and Far Away"  
Chapter One   
Talk   
  
  
  
The sun shown through the windows that her cousin, Kellie, had insisted on getting cut into their attic room, as Darry Moore opened her eyes and blinked them, peering out from under her thick lashes. She groaned and rolled over on her side, wincing as she rolled because of the pain in her left that she had gotten from 'swimming' with the Kraken last night. The Kraken had come close to crushing her when he swung his tail, hitting her in the side and driving her into the wall. However, it didn't hurt too bad so she had decided not to bring it up while everyone else listed their injuries and while Buffy told Anya that a broken finger-nail was no an injury.   
Their battle with Chaos the night before seemed like so long ago; Darry felt like she had been asleep forever. However, rolling back over she looked at the alarm clock that Buffy had given her; it read 10:30 A.M.   
With another groan, Darry flung the covers off her body and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. In the bed across the room, her nineteen-year-old cousin slept on, regardless of the sunlight.   
Last night, Kellie had been forced (or nearly forced) to chose between her own life or the life of her boyfriend. However, Buffy had destroyed the evil before Kellie had to make that choice.   
Thinking of Kellie and Spike made Darry think on her own boyfriend. She changed from her bedclothes into her outfit for the day, she caught sight of her necklace that she hadn't taken off since she had gotten it back. Oz had given her the necklace for her birthday, which was also the day before she was killed. When she 'returned from the dead' she had found the necklace on her night-table and had put it back on.   
After getting dressed, Darry headed downstairs, leaving her cousin to sleep a little longer. After all, no one really knew what exactly the night would hold.   
  
Downstairs, Buffy was arguing with Dawn on how many eggs to put in pancakes while Willow highlighted passages in text-books with a bright pink high lighter. Anya was also over, which was slightly surprising, asking Buffy and the others which color of lettering they liked better for the wedding invitations.   
Darry entered the kitchen and was surprised when Anya shoved wedding invitation in her face asking, "Is this color alright? Does it say 'happy wedding' or 'wedding for looneys because they picked that color for their wedding invitation'?"   
Darry blinked and took a step back, knowing it wouldn't do any good because Anya took a step forward. "Well?" She asked, looking at Darry.  
"Whatever color you use, Anya, it'll still be a wedding for a looney." Darry muttered and walked away from Anya to join Willow at the kitchen table.   
Anya stood, dumbfounded. "What does that mean?" She asked, trying to figure it out, standing in the middle of the kitchen holding wedding invitations.   
Darry sat down and looked over at Willow. "What'cha doing?" She asked, cocking her head like a curious child.   
Willow looked up at Darry with a half-smile. "Just stuff, for when I go back to college, you know. Tara told me most of the stuff that they're teaching in class." Willow answered.   
Darry peered down at the book Willow had and noticed that most of the paragraphs were highlighted. However, she decided not to say anything and looked over at Dawn and Buffy.   
Dawn was holding to eggs in her hand and telling Buffy that two eggs went in the pancakes and that she would throw them across the kitchen if she didn't believe her. Buffy, however, wasn't shaken by her sister's words and told her that only one egg went in the pancakes and that she would throw the eggs right back at her.   
Darry couldn't help but shake her head their sisterly foolishness and also couldn't help but long for that kind of affection.   
Dawn and Buffy started to scream at each other when the kitchen door opened and Oz stepped inside. Darry turned her head to look at him and smiled, her eyes sparkling.  
However, the 'mood' was ruined when Dawn let out a screech and flung one of the eggs across the kitchen, as she had promised. The egg flew across the kitchen and hit Oz in the head; yoke and bits of egg shell dripped down Oz's head. Oz was too surprised to do much of anything at the moment.   
Darry ran over to him and then shot a look over at Dawn, who was staring in disbelief at what she had just done. Darry reached for a napkin and gingerly wiped the yoke off Oz's head.   
After apologizing for her sister, Buffy suggested that Oz wash the yoke out of his hair in the bathroom. Darry went with him; Oz shut the door behind them and then looked at her.   
Darry picked up a washcloth and held it under the running faucet. Oz looked at her, as though trying to read her thoughts by studying her back. Oz noticed how her breaths were shaky when she breathed in and how slender her back was, things he had never noticed about her before.   
Darry turned around to face him and Oz almost averted his eyes, as though he was doing something wrong. Darry caught his stare and smiled, handing the washcloth over to where Oz stood. He took her hand in his when she went to hand him the cloth.   
"Darry, I've been meaning to talk to you." Oz said.   
Darry shrugged. "Go ahead." She said, smiling at him as though it made her happy just to be near him, which it did.   
"About those things that the Chaos guy said last night...about the Ghost Roads..." Oz began but Darry cut him off.   
"Oz...please I really don't want to talk about it." Darry said; Oz felt her hand slightly shake and grow old.  
"Darry, I've been on the Ghost Roads before. About three years ago when the Gatehouse was in trouble; the Gatekeeper said I could travel because I was a werewolf. What I'm saying is, I know how horrible that place is..." Oz began again but Darry cut him off.   
"No, Oz, you really don't know how horrible it is to be there. You don't know how horrible it is to be stuck there and know that you're never going to get out." Darry snapped, pulling her hand away and turned, putting her back to him.   
Oz knew that it must have been horrible for Darry because it was horrible for him to be there, alive. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. He rested his cheek against her soft hair and felt her head lift slightly with her breathing.   
Darry turned her head to face him, her eyes losing some of their sparkle and her lashes covering her eyes so they betrayed nothing of what she felt.   
"What was it like, Darry?" Oz asked, knowing it was the wrong question but wanting to ask it anyway.   
Darry closed her eyes and turned her head away from Oz, her hair falling in waves upon her back. "Horrible." She answered, slowly as though she didn't just her voice to say the letters. "The worst part is, I feel like a part of me is still there because a part of me feels like it's missing." Darry added, looking back at him with tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.   
Darry looked at him as though she didn't expect him to understand but Oz did understand, for when Darry had died, Oz felt like a part of him had died as well. However, when she returned it felt like he had been reborn and he couldn't bear to lose her again, not even for a second.   
Oz lowered his head and kissed Darry, running his hand through her hair. Darry kissed back, entwining her fingers with his. Oz felt her nails brush against his palm; he broke the kiss to look at her.   
Darry smiled at him and then reached up to touch his hair. "You still have egg in your hair." She said, a slight smile playing on her lips.   
They shared another kiss as Oz cleaned the yoke from his hair with the rag Darry had given him. 


	2. Out of the Woods

Chapter Two   
Out of the Woods   
  
  
Kellie hummed as she brushed her hair, it was nearly afternoon when she woke up and wasn't surprised to find Darry already awoke and her nightclothes folded neatly on the bed. However, she had decided to take her time getting dressed and was lazily brushing her hair and humming a tune to a song that she couldn't remember.   
She sighed, almost wistfully, and set her brush down on the dresser in front of her. Kellie brushed her hair behind her shoulders and turned to face the entrance of the attic room that she shared with her older cousin.   
Kellie walked down the stairs and into the main part of the house. It seemed empty and Kellie wouldn't be surprised; the other members of the house had things to do and she, after all, had over slept. Darry must be out somewhere with Oz, and Buffy out with Dawn, Willow out with, someone: perhaps with Tara. Now that Willow had told Amy to 'get lost', Kellie didn't expect to see much of the girl anymore.   
Kellie sat down at the large kitchen table by herself and rested her chin the palms of her hands; she had never heard the Summers house so quiet before.   
As though to answer her thoughts and pleas for noise (even if she didn't know she was pleading for it), the doorbell rang and then someone knocked, impatient to get in.   
Kellie left the kitchen and headed to the front door, where the pounding continued. "Hold on, geez." Kellie snapped at the person on the other side of the door. It couldn't be anyone that she knew or that the Scooby Gang knew because they would just use the kitchen door and walk right in.   
Kellie unlocked the door and opened it, not enough but just to peer outside to see who was calling. It was a man, about Buffy's age, Kellie guessed, just in what could only be described as an army outfit. The man was ruggedly handsome with dirt on his face and dirt in his hair, which was disheveled.   
When Kellie opened the door, the man looked at her and then gave her the once-over, looking surprised. He instantly straightened up, as though standing at attention. "Sorry, I didn't mean to knock so hard; this is 1630 Revello Drive, isn't it?" The man answered.   
Kellie nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?" Kellie asked.   
"Does, uh, Buffy Summers still live here?" The man asked.   
Kellie nodded. "She's out at the moment, though, but she lives here." Kellie answered. She gave him the once-over and noticed how dirty he was. "Who are you?" Kellie asked.   
"Agent Finn, er, Riley Finn." The man answered, looking slightly uncomfortable.   
"What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like a solider, you're not are you? A solider I mean." Kellie asked.   
"I am; I really need to speak to Buffy, do you know when she'll be back?" Riley asked.   
Kellie shrugged. "Not really, I didn't even know she'd gone. You're welcome here to wait, if you don't think she'll mind. After all, you seem to know her well. Why?" Kellie asked, cocking her head to study Riley.   
"Well, I was once her beau but I guess I messed up by leaving here." Riley answered, once again looking upset and uncomfortable.   
Kellie could tell that he didn't want to talk to her about his past with Buffy. "Come on in, Riley." Kellie offered, stepping away from the door.   
Riley entered the house and looked around, noticing that everything looked the same. Then, he turned to her. "If you don't mind me asking, Miss, who are you and what do you have to do with Buffy?" Riley asked.   
Kellie looked at him. "My name is Kellie Kennedy and I live here because my cousin, Daralyn, met Buffy and lived here as well. I'm just a friend of Buffy's, not a sister or high school pal, just a friend." Kellie answered.  
Riley nodded and shut the door behind him but he stood close to the foyer, as though he wasn't welcome in the house. Kellie went into the kitchen and Riley followed, taking a seat at the large kitchen table.   
"So, who else lives here?" Riley asked, drumming his fingers on the table and then stopping when he realized what he was doing.   
"Well, Buffy, of course, and Dawn, her sister, and Willow. Darry and I live in the attic, Xander made it into a room." Kellie answered.   
Riley nodded and Kellie could tell that he didn't really care. "Well, I can say with honesty, I've never heard of you or your cousin." Riley muttered.   
Kellie sat down and studied him. "Ever heard of a town called Snowville?" Kellie asked. "A little skiing town just barely on the map." She added with a smirk.   
Riley nodded. "Of course, it's part of training to learn every city in the United States, just in case we ever have to go there." Riley answered.   
Kellie nodded. "I'm impressed." She muttered, dead-pan. Then she once again studied Riley's outfit. "So, what's with the outfit? You introduced yourself as Agent Finn so you're obviously trained, because you just said you were, in whatever it is you do, now tell me: what is it you do?" Kellie asked.   
Riley shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable again. Kellie noticed that his eyes darted when he didn't want to tell the whole story. "What?" She asked. "Is this one of those: 'if I tell you I'll have to kill you' jobs?"   
Riley smiled. "Funny. Yeah, in a way." He answered.   
Kellie frowned and leaned back in her chair. "Now I'm dying to know." She muttered, dead-pan.   
"Hasn't Buffy ever mentioned me, ever?" Riley asked.   
Just then the kitchen door opened and Buffy walked inside, with Dawn and Willow in tow. Buffy looked down at the kitchen table and saw Riley sitting across from Kellie at the table.   
Her face when white and she nearly dropped the bags she was holding. "Riley." She said, her voice straight and even, which was a surprise because of the way she looked.   
Riley looked over at Buffy, standing up and pushing his chair under the table. Before Buffy or Riley could say another word, Willow and Dawn were pushed aside and Spike rushed in with a blanket over his body and smoke billowing from his hands.   
When he was in the house, he threw the blanket aside and it landed on Riley; Spike turned to face Kellie, unaware that Riley was standing there, under his blanket. "Hey pet." Spike said with a smile.   
Riley threw the blanket off him and whirled on Spike. "You, you're the demon that we put that chip in." Riley said, reaching for his belt as though he was getting something.   
Spike turned to him. "Oh bullocks." Spike muttered. "Just my bloody luck, what are you doing here, you excuse for a sodding solider?" Spike asked.   
Riley glared at Spike. "You're lucky I don't have my gun with me." Riley muttered. "Or maybe, I'm lucky you have that chip in your head." Riley said in a taunting way.   
Spike stepped forward and hit Riley in the face, breaking his nose. Riley stepped backward, holding his nose. Buffy stepped forward as well and hit Spike in the face. "Back off." Buffy growled.   
Spike jerked backward and nearly knocked the table over. Willow decided to step in and intervened. "Guys, lets calm down and think about this." Willow said.   
Spike, however, did not intend on thinking about anything and hit Buffy in the jaw.   
Riley shoved Spike aside again and kicked him in the stomach. Spike doubled over and fell to the ground.   
Kellie decided that nobody messed with her Spikey and threw a punch at Riley. The punch went wide and Riley, on instinct, grabbed Kellie's fist and held it. Kellie jerked her fist but Riley held it tight; with his other hand he grabbed her other arm.   
Before Riley knew what had happened, he was lying on the ground with a massive head-ache. He looked up and blinked his eyes to see a very angry looking brunette standing over him.   
"No body messes with my cousin." The brunette muttered and rubbed her knuckles, working her fingers along her fist.   
Riley looked around to notice that the kitchen was in shambles and the fighting had mostly stopped. The kitchen table had managed to get over turned and one of the legs had broken off; Spike was doubled over, holding himself up with one hand gripping the edge of the counter.   
Buffy was picking up the broken pieces of glass and pottery and telling Spike she was paying for everything he broke. Kellie was glaring at him while someone, Riley thought he recognized, helped her to her feet.   
Willow and Dawn her attempting to lift the kitchen table, however it was impossible because of the missing leg. Riley looked over at the brunette again, glaring at her.   
However, he couldn't help but notice that even though she looked upset, she didn't really look upset. Her eyes sparkled with a slight happiness and a smile could be seen, just barely, at the corners of her lips.   
To Riley's surprise, the girl held her hand out to him, an offer to help him up. Riley extended his hand and the brunette helped him up, Riley was surprised by her strength.   
Kellie walked over to the brunette with the man that had helped her up in tow. The brunette turned to face Kellie. "Okay, I just nearly knocked this guy out, who is he?" She asked.   
Before Kellie could answer, Buffy joined them. "This, Darry, is Riley, my ex-boyfriend who is apparently back in town. Out of the woods." Buffy said, fixing her eyes on Riley. 


	3. Throughly Predictable

Chapter Three   
Throughly Predictable   
  
  
After everyone had managed to clean up the kitchen as best they could, the group gathered in the living room. Riley was introduced to Darry, Kellie's cousin, and Oz, who Riley remembered as the werewolf the Initiative had captured a few years ago.   
However, Buffy was less interested in introducing her friends and more interested in what Riley was doing back in Sunnydale. And the reason that Spike had come to the house during the day. Buffy's attention, at the moment, was more focused on Riley.   
"Let me guess, you're here because your mission in South America is over so you just decided to come back to Sunnydale with hopes of saving your relationship with a certain Slayer we all know, when you know that you really have no chance." Buffy said, her eyes fixing on Riley.   
Riley flushed a little. "Throughly Predictable." He said, without looking at her. Then he said, "You hit it right on the head, Buffy, it's like you're reading my mind."   
Buffy smiled slightly, but it was a smug, forced smile. "Great. Now you can read mine." Buffy said and the smile disappeared from her face and a cold glare replaced it.   
Riley winced at Buffy's stare. Darry noticed this and then turned to look at Buffy, surprised by her friend's anger. Buffy had mentioned Riley to Darry one time and by the way she talked about him, Darry always thought that Buffy would love it if Riley came back. However, looking at her now, Darry couldn't tell.   
Darry decided to step in before it came to more fisticuffs. "So, Buffy said you went to South America, why?" Darry asked, looking over at Riley.   
Riley looked over at Darry and then over at Buffy who just shrugged. "You see, Darry was it, I'm like a Slayer, only not really. I work for a team called the Initiative, which captures demons and tried to make them, well, un-demon-like. You know, not violent to anything human." Riley answered. He looked over at Spike. "Apparently they only work for a short time." He muttered, remembering how Spike had struck him earlier.   
"Wrong, solider boy, me and Kellie here took care of that sodding old chip ourselves." Spike said and wrapped his arm around Kellie's waist.   
Riley frowned. "So, the chips can be taken out." Riley muttered and Darry could see him making a mental note to 'tell the mother-ship' or whatever his 'leader' was called.   
Spike shrugged. "Well, I guess you're lucky that all demons aren't as smart as I am." Spike said with a smug smile. Kellie smiled as well and looked up at her vampire beau.   
"I beg to differ." Buffy muttered, soft enough so no one could hear.   
Darry looked over at Buffy, who looked at her and smiled and raised an eyebrow. Darry shook her head gamely and then turned her attention back to Riley, studying him and still trying to decide if she liked him or not.  
Oz looked over at Riley, not giving the man more then glance; Oz couldn't forget how Riley and the other Commandos had captured him to run tests on him because he was a werewolf.   
Oz looked over at Darry, who was standing beside him; Darry had her gaze fixed on Riley, Oz could tell by the way her eyes moved around that she was thinking about something.   
Oz couldn't help but get slightly angry, not with Darry because she didn't know what Riley had done, but with Riley; he was angry that Riley could command such attention from Darry, when he knew that if Riley knew that Darry was a werewolf that he might want to do the same sort of tests on her.   
As if Darry could sense that Oz was thinking about her, she turned to face him, her hair spilling down her shoulders.   
Darry noticed that Oz had a slightly worried, or angry -you could never tell with Oz-, expression on his face. "What's the matter?" She asked, low enough so only he could hear.   
Oz shook his head, now was really not the place to tell Darry about it. However, Darry wouldn't let him get away with just a head-shake. She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen without bothering to say a word to anyone else in the living room.   
When they were in the kitchen, Darry looked at Oz with a concerned expression on her face. "What's wrong?" She asked.   
Oz looked away from her for a second and then looked at her, as if he just decided what to say. "What is it with you and Riley?" Oz asked.   
"What?" Darry asked, as Oz realized who vague and stupid his question was.   
"I mean, why were you staring at him like that?" Oz asked, once again wishing he had picked another way to ask his question.   
"I don't even know what you're talking about, so nothing. Nothing is 'going on' between us." Darry answered, still not understanding what her boyfriend meant.   
Oz shrugged. "Okay, then let me guess: you are interested in him because you've never met a guy like Riley, who seems really good on the outside and like the guy-next-door but you know that he's really not like that but you can't help but be interested in him. Besides Buffy was once interested in him so it intrigues you and you want to find out why." Oz said, taking a guess just as Buffy had done.   
Darry shrugged. "Throughly Predictable. But, wrong in most cases." Darry said, trying to keep her voice from betraying any emotion.   
Oz looked surprised at what Darry said. "What?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"Riley said that: 'throughly predictable'." Oz said, as though he was accusing Darry of a crime.   
"So? It's a catchy phrase and it's not like I'm making him my role model or anything." Darry said, snapping at him without meaning to. Darry studied him, noticing that there was something wrong with Oz that he wasn't telling her. "What's wrong Oz?" Darry asked, all harshness dropped from her voice.   
Oz turned to her. "Nothing, it's really nothing; look I'll see you later, Darry." Oz said. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and then left by way of the kitchen door.   
Darry frowned when he disappeared, letting out a deep sigh and finding herself unable to turn away from the kitchen door. Whatever was wrong with Oz had to do with Riley, Darry just didn't know what it was.   
  
Back in the living room, Riley suddenly took a deep breath and turned to face Buffy with totally serious look on his face. "Buffy, I guess I haven't been entirely honest with you." Riley began, Buffy cut him off before he was able to finish.   
"Which isn't a surprise." Buffy muttered.   
Riley ignored him and continued. "There's something I have to tell you; when you were telling me why I was back in Sunnydale, you got most things wrong. In South America, I met someone; her name is Melissa and she was in South America by way of the Peace Cor." Riley said.   
"What are you trying to say?" Buffy asked.   
"You see, Buffy, before I came back to Sunnydale, Melissa and I got married." Riley answered, his voice getting low as though he was ashamed by that fact.   
"Whoa, you got married?" Buffy asked, surprised.   
Riley nodded. "You should come and meet her, Buffy, I'm sure you'll like her." Riley said, as though he was defending his wife.  
Kellie, before Buffy could say anything, said, "Why not, I'm sure she's a great person. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do."   
Darry re-entered the kitchen just as Buffy agreed with Kellie's idea. Kellie also suggested that Spike come as well and went to get his blanket from the kitchen. Willow quickly filled Darry in; Kellie returned and helped cover Spike up with the blanket.   
With Spike covered up, everyone left the Summers house and headed toward the apartment that Riley lived in with his wife. 


	4. All I Know

Chapter Four   
All I Know   
  
  
As the group walked down the street, Darry couldn't help but think of how Buffy felt about Riley's return and his wife. The Slayer hadn't exactly welcomed Riley with open arms but Darry could tell that Buffy was happy to see him back. Now, however, Darry couldn't tell much of anything; Buffy's face was blank and expressionless, staring straight ahead.   
Darry glanced to her left, to see Kellie was under the blanket with Spike and they were obviously making out. Darry couldn't figure out how they managed not to run into a stop-sign or whatnot.   
Riley said something that Darry couldn't hear and then pointed to a section of buildings ahead. The buildings were larger then apartments but Darry guessed they served the same purpose.   
The Scooby Gang, Kellie and Riley entered the main part of the section of buildings and headed up a flight of stairs. Riley pulled a key out of his pocket and stuck it into the brass lock of a door labeled B6.   
The door opened and the first thing Darry knew was a horrible smell coming from inside; she wrinkled her nose and turned her head away.   
"What is that smell?" Kellie muttered, beside her, putting a hand up to cover her nose and mouth.   
"Melissa must be cooking, she's not a very good cook." Riley said. Darry found it weird that he didn't seem to be disgusted by the smell; however, he must be used to it, since he had lived with her for a while.   
Riley opened the door all the way and went into the apartment first, motioned for everyone else to follow him. With some hesitation (except for Spike because he couldn't smell) the Scooby Gang followed Riley inside the apartment.   
Riley flicked on the lights and Darry looked around the apartment; it looked like a normal apartment, a couch resting against a far wall, kitchen to the left of the door and a hall that led to the bedroom and bathroom. There were little decorations except for trinkets and whatnot that came from South America; a doll (voodoo, Darry guessed) made of corn-shucks rested on the coffee table. An assortment of creepy-looking masks hung on the walls, hollow eyes glaring down at them; beside the couch, resting a night-table, was a glass cage which held a large spider, larger then any other spider Darry had ever seen.   
"Melissa?" Riley called, scanning the apartment.   
"Just a second Riley." A voice called back, Darry couldn't pin-point the direction it had come from.   
The smell disappeared and a woman, who looked younger then Riley, emerged from the dimly light hallway. Melissa, Darry presumed, had corn-blonde hair tied in a bun atop her head. Her skin was tan from staying in the sun too long; her green eyes were dull and hidden beneath thick eyelashes.   
"Riley, you didn't tell me we were going to have guests." Melissa said, frowning and suddenly looking cross.   
"I know, Melissa, I'm sorry but it was kind of a 'spur of the moment' thing." Riley said, hanging his head. Buffy looked over at him and could tell that he wasn't hanging his head in mock shame, he was truely appalled by his actions.   
Melissa studied the group, her eyes scanning each person; she gave Spike the once-over, rolling her eyes. "So, who are these people?" Melissa asked, making no move to hide the disgust in her voice.   
"This," Riley began, "is Willow, Kellie, her cousin Darry, Spike, Dawn, Buffy's sister, and this is Buffy." Riley said, pointing to each of the group.   
Melissa looked at Buffy. "Buffy, your ex-girlfriend Buffy?" Melissa asked, once again her voice was full of disgust.   
"Yeah." Buffy answered, before Riley could, giving Melissa a scornful look.   
Melissa put her hands on her hips. "I don't see what's so great about her; the way you talked about her, you made it sound like she was a model or something." Melissa said, raising an eyebrow as she gave Buffy the once-over. "She doesn't look so tough to me, either, she can't be the Slayer." Melissa added.   
"She knows I'm the Slayer?" Buffy asked, looking at Riley.   
Riley shrugged. "Yeah but it's okay Buffy, Melissa won't tell anyone." He said, giving her a pitiful shrug.   
Melissa shook her head. "Now, Riley, tell me is she the reason we moved to Sunnydale?" Melissa asked.   
"Look, Melissa, Sunnydale isn't that bad." Riley said. He walked over to his wife. "Look, baby, just please be nice, these people are my friends; please, for me." Riley said, whispering in her ear.   
Melissa shrugged him off. "Fine." She said. She turned her head to face Buffy and the others. "Sit down, please; I'll fix something for you to eat and drink." Melissa said and, going past the spider's cage, walked into the kitchen.   
Darry took a seat on the couch beside her cousin. "Wait, Riley said that Melissa must have been cooking before; so, why is she going to fix something, now, for us?" Darry asked.   
Kellie shrugged and stood up again, pulling the sleeves down on her shirt. "Well, she was probably cooking dinner and she can't serve us dinner." Kellie said. She began to sit down but then let out a yelp and jumped back up.   
"What happened?" Darry asked, looking at her cousin.   
"There's a spider there!" Kellie exclaimed and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the coffee table.   
Darry looked to where her cousin was pointing and saw the large spider that had been in the cage before. The spider was a spider that Darry had never seen before, it was probably from South America. The spider seemed to know that Darry was staring at it because it flicked its legs in Darry's direction.   
Spike walked over to calm Kellie down and to look at the spider. "Oh bloody hell, what is that thing?" Spike asked, resting his hand on Kellie's shoulder.   
"I HATE spiders!" Kellie cried, looking away from the spider on the couch.   
Melissa appeared beside Kellie and Spike and then walked over to the couch. She bent down and gathered the spider in her hands. She clicked her tongue as she stroked the spider's back with her finger. "Charlotte, how did you get out?" Melissa cooed.   
Darry frowned as she watched Melissa carry the spider, Charlotte, back to his cage; Darry noticed that the top of the cage was open. It would have been impossible for the cage to be open without human hands; it would been impossible for the spider to even get out, without help from humans.   
Melissa put the spider back in the cage and put the top back on. Spike turned to face Melissa. "Now, tell me how the bloody hell that thing out of its cage." Spike asked, his voice thick with angry and confusion.   
Melissa turned to face Spike with a very angry expression on her face. "Do not raise your voice at me, for you are a guest in my house." Melissa hissed, her voice was so fierce that even Darry recoiled. "Perhaps my spider knows something about her that you don't and wanted to get rid of her." Melissa spat.   
Buffy was quickly at Spike and Kellie's side and narrowed her eyes, glaring at Melissa. "Don't you talk about my friends that way." Buffy hissed.   
Riley put his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Buffy calm down, just calm down." Riley said.   
Buffy shrugged his hand off and then turned to Riley. "It's been great seeing you, Riley, but I think that's its time for us to leave." Buffy said.   
  
As Buffy and the others left the apartment building, Darry talked to Buffy about Riley. And Melissa. "What do you think about Melissa?" Darry asked.   
Buffy shrugged. "I don't really know. All I know is she's weird and there's something about her that I don't like." Buffy answered. "That's all I know." 


	5. Do You Believe in Magick?

Chapter Five   
Do You Believe in Magick?   
  
  
Darry idly turned the almost stained pages of the leather-bound book she was reading. She wasn't really reading it but was attempting to take her mind off of the conversation that she had with Oz earlier in the day. He had seemed really upset, though Darry didn't know why; she was also worried about Oz, it wasn't like him to get upset like that and then not tell her way. It wasn't like him to get angry at all.   
With a sigh, Darry shut her book and laid her head down on the table. Across the kitchen, Kellie looked over at her; she was pouring herself and drink, as well as one for Darry. Kellie carried the drinks over to the table and sat down across from her cousin.   
"Ugh, I still can't get over that horrible spider." Kellie shuddered as she slid Darry's drink to her.   
Darry caught her drink and took a sip. "I know, how weird was that?" Darry asked.   
"You don't have to tell me. And it would have bitten me, I know it would have." Kellie added.   
Darry nodded. "It looked like it had a mind of its own; it was almost like it looked at me." Darry said, grimacing when she thought about it.   
"And the way she petted it, like it was a freaking dog; 'oh Charlotte'." Kellie said, mimicking Melissa's words and tone.   
"You know," Darry said, looking over at Kellie, "I think she put that spider there on purpose. There is no way that spider could have gotten out." Darry added.   
Kellie grimaced. "Why would she do that?" Kellie asked.   
"I don't know, there's something weird about her; Buffy thought so too and I'm sure everyone else did." Darry said.   
"Well, duh, the stupidest person could tell she was weird; she has a spider for a pet, whom she pets, and she has a voodoo doll on her coffee table and she has Halloween masks on her wall, which I really don't think were bought at a trick shop." Kellie snapped.   
"And that smell, the smell when Riley opened the door, it was like year old motherwart." Darry grimaced and wrinkled her nose as she remembered the smell.   
Kellie raised her eyebrow, surprised by Darry's identify the plants. "What?" Darry asked, shrugging her shoulders. "When I was younger, before I came to Sunnydale, I hung out with my fair share of covens, thank you." Darry said, looking at Kellie.   
Kellie shrugged. "Wait, covens, that's like witches and magic, right?" Kellie asked.   
"Yep, magic with a 'k' my dear cousin." Darry answered and sipped at her drink.   
Kellie thought for a second, twirling an ice-cube around in her drink with her finger-tip. "Hmm." Kellie muttered. "Do you believe in magick, Darry?" Kellie asked with a sly smile on her face.   
"Of course, what's your point?" Darry asked.   
"Well, I'm just saying that you said motherwart, or whatever, had to do with covens and that means witches. I'm just saying that...well Melissa might be a witch; if she uses motherwart and stuff and has a spider for a freaking pet, isn't that witchy to you?" Kellie asked, looking at her cousin with a raised eyebrow.   
Darry felt a sly smile inch onto her lips. "And you are suggesting, cousin of mine?" Darry asked, also raising an eyebrow.   
"Well, I don't think Riley or Melissa would mind if we took a look around the apartment, do you?" Kellie asked.   
  
Kellie and Darry entered the main part of the apartment building that Riley lived in with Melissa. "Oh, Kellie, I just found a flaw in your plan: how are we going to get in?" Darry asked.   
Kellie frowned and scanned the building; to their left was a room with 'Supervisor' labeled in black letters on the door and to their right was a room labeled 'Rec. Room'.   
"There, that must be like the main office, where the big head guy is." Kellie said, glancing over at Darry. "There must be more then one key, right?" Kellie pointed out.   
"I see your drift, Kellie, the supervisor must have copies of the keys; we just get one and let ourselves in." Darry said. Kellie nodded.   
The two walked toward the supervisor's room and Darry gently rapped on the door. "Come in." Someone said from inside.   
Kellie and Darry entered the office and Darry shut the door behind them. The supervisor was sitting at his desk, a name plate which read 'Mr. John K. Harrison' in golden letters.   
"Can I help you?" The man asked, his voice slightly thick with a Russian accent.   
"Yeah, um, I'll be blunt with you, my sister and I need a key into the apartment of my boyfriend because he told me to get something for him but he didn't give me the key and told me that you would give it to us." Kellie said, standing up straighter and tried to look older then she was.   
Darry looked around the office and noticed there was a board with a keys hung up on nails; the apartment numbers were written by the nails. Darry's eyes rested on the key marked B6, Riley's apartment.   
Harrison shook his head. "Look, lady, your boyfriend didn't tell me anything about you stopping by. I can't give you that key." He said.   
Kellie frowned and looked over at Darry. Darry chewed on her bottom lip and thought for a second. She took a step forward and then took a stage-fall. "Oh!....Ow! My leg!" Darry cried and then glanced up at her cousin, who was staring at her wide-eyed.  
Harrison got up from behind his desk and walked over to where Darry had fallen. "Miss, are you okay?" He asked.   
Darry moved around on the ground as Harrison dropped to his knees beside her. "My leg...ow...the pain." She said and shot a look up at Kellie. "Get the key." She mouth and motioned to the board. "My leg!" Darry yelped.   
Kellie saw what her cousin was doing and then nodded; she slipped slowly behind Harrison and toward the board with the keys.   
"Miss, what happened?" Harrison asked, trying to get Darry to stop moving.   
"I tripped, you dolt...I mean: ow! Ow! My leg!" Darry cried.   
Kellie reached the board and realized that she didn't know what Riley's apartment number was. She glanced behind her and saw that Harrison was insisting on calling a doctor, which would not have gone well. Kellie bit her lip and then grabbed and a handful of keys off the board and stuffed them into her sweater pocket.   
Kellie walked toward the back door and motioned for Darry to follow her. Darry looked at her cousin and stopped moving around.   
"You know what? My leg feels a lot better now! Gotta go." Darry said and bolted upright, running out the back door after Kellie.   
Harrison was dumbfounded as he watched Darry disappeared.   
  
In the hallway, Kellie turned to face her cousin. "That was good, good distraction." Kellie said, smiling at her cousin.   
"Yeah well, all in a day's work." Darry said and took a bored star's pose.   
"So, where's the key?" Darry asked, dropping her pose and returning her gaze to Kellie.   
Kellie flushed. "Well, what had happened was: I got to the board and realized that I didn't remember what apartment number was so I just grabbed a bunch of keys." Kellie said and pulled the keys out of her pocket.   
"Great." Darry muttered. "Come on, let's go." She said and started walking up the stairs toward Riley's apartment.   
When they arrived at the apartment, Darry began trying keys; on the last key the door opened.   
"Okay, let's go." Darry said and opened the door. 


	6. Snopping Around

Chapter Six   
Snooping Around  
  
  
Inside the apartment it was dark; Darry figured that had to do with the fact that it was nearly dark outside. Kellie reached forward and flicked a light switch; the apartment was engulfed in light, it looked just the way it did when they had entered earlier in the afternoon.   
"Looks like a normal apartment." Darry pointed out, though she wasn't near ready to admit that all was normal.   
"Looks can be deceiving." Kellie said, looking around the apartment. She walked over to where Charlotte's cage was and peered inside.   
"The spider's not in here." Kellie muttered, tapping her finger against the glass.   
"Maybe they took it for a walk." Darry muttered gamely and walked past her cousin and into the hallway. Darry walked to the bedroom door and opened it; looking around. It looked like a normal bed room, Darry thought, as she walked inside.   
"What are you doing?" Kellie asked, running to catch up with Darry.   
"I'm snooping around, isn't that what we came here to do?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow at her cousin.   
"Yeah, but my dad always taught me it was improper for you, me, to sneak into someone's room and go through their things." Kellie said, putting her hands on her hips.   
"Yeah, well, my dad taught me that I was evil but you don't see me listening to him, now do you?" Darry asked.   
She walked over to one of the dressers in the room, it was easy to tell which dresser was Melissa's because it was littered with trinkets that reminded Darry of some of the things covens used.   
She pawed through a few of the things and picked one thing up; it was a string of what looked like human and animal teeth, they had holes drilled through them and were tied to what looked like dried human innards.  
Darry grimaced and set the grotesque necklace back down. Kellie opened Riley's dresser and started going through his clothes, messing up the neatly folded clothes.   
She reached in and picked up another object, turning it around in her hands to look it over. "What's this?" She said, looking over at Darry. Darry turned to face Kellie and opened her hands, as though to say 'let me see'.   
Kellie tossed Darry the heavy, metal object; her cousin caught it and then let out a hiss of pain, dropping the object to the ground.   
"What's the matter? Darry?" Kellie asked and walked to her cousin. Kellie bent down to pick up the object and was surprised when it didn't cause her any pain. Darry bit back tears and took at her palms, which looked like they had been burned.   
"What is this thing?" Kellie asked, careful not get the object near Darry again.   
"It's made of silver, whatever it." Darry hissed, dropping her palms to her sides, slowly.   
"Oh, silver hurts werewolves; you're not a werewolf now, though, why did it hurt you?" Kellie asked.   
"Tomorrow is the night before the first night of the full moon." Darry answered. "My wolf traits start to come about around now, I can hear and smell really well at the moment." Darry answered.   
Kellie dropped the object back on the ground. "Weird, why would Riley have something silver in his dresser?" Kellie asked.   
Darry and Kellie left the room and looked around the hall. "There's nothing here." Kellie pointed out, running her hands along one of the walls.   
"No, there is." Darry muttered and placed her palms flat against another wall; the wall rippled like it was made of water and Darry's hands disappeared. "There's something behind here." She said, looking back at Kellie.   
"What is that?" Kellie asked, hurrying to her cousin's side.   
"A glamour, used to hide what's really there." Darry answered. "Let's go." She said and motioned to the ripply wall.   
"In there?" Kellie asked and looked at her cousin like she was crazy.   
"Come on." Darry said and stepped into the wall; Darry disappeared before Kellie's eyes.   
"Wait!" Kellie called and followed her cousin into whatever was beyond the wall.   
What was behind the wall amazed both Kellie and Darry; it was a room, though a very dark room. It was filled with smoke and Darry was sure she heard something growling from somewhere in the room; it was impossible to tell how big the room was, in a room made by magick, it could be as large as needed.   
Kellie moved her hand through the air, pushing away some of the smoke to get a better look of the room. "What's this?" Kellie asked and pointed to a large cast-iron pot.   
"It looks like a caldron." Darry answered, joining her cousin at the pot. She peered inside, the caldron was empty except for the caldron was rimmed with a thick, red fluid that was stuck to sides.   
"I think Melissa's a witch." Kellie said and put her hands on her hips.   
Darry nodded. "I think you're right." Darry muttered.   
"Why would Riley marry a witch?" Kellie asked and started looking around again. "It just doesn't make sense."   
"Maybe he doesn't know she's a witch." Darry answered and picked a book off of a table that looked like it was made of bone and gristle.   
Kellie shrugged; Darry flipped through the book. "This looks like a diary or something." Darry muttered. "Oh! I know what it is! It's a power journal." Darry exclaimed, not knowing why she had yelled.   
"What's that?" Kellie asked, taking the book from Darry.   
"It's a place where witches or other spell casters write down their spells and thoughts and chants and whatnot." Darry answered. "You're not supposed to let anyone see it." She added.   
"Oh well." Kellie muttered. "She didn't let us see anything." Kellie added.   
Ignoring her cousin, Darry lifted her head and cocked it to the side. "Did you hear that?" She asked, her eyes darting over to her cousin.   
"No, not a werewolf, hello." Kellie said, shaking her head.   
"They're home." Darry whispered. "We have to get out of here." She added, looking over at Kellie.   
"Yeah, that would be the right answer." Kellie whispered, suddenly fearing that Riley or Melissa would hear her.   
Silently, Kellie and Darry crept toward the way they had entered; Kellie clutched the power journal to her chest, without even knowing what she was doing.   
Quickly and as quietly as possible, Darry and Kellie slipped through the wall and back into the living room; both of them pressed themselves up against the wall, Darry stopped breathing without even realizing it.   
"Oh Melissa, I have to get something from the car." Darry heard Riley call; she heard the apartment door open and shut and only heard one person in the apartment now.   
"What are we going to do?" Kellie asked, whispering in her cousin's ear and pressing her nose against her hair.   
Darry shrugged. "Maybe Melissa will go out with him or go the bathroom and then we can sneak out. We can't let her know we're here." Darry whispered back.   
Kellie nodded and chewed her bottom lip. Now she knew why her dad told her not to break into someone's house to 'snoop around', if you got caught it was not a good thing.   
Darry cocked her head to listen to Melissa, she was in the kitchen, opening cupboards and taking things out. As she listening to Melissa, Darry began to think that she and Kellie were going to get out without being noticed.   
Suddenly, Kellie let out a yelp and jumped up, crying out. Darry jerked her head in her cousin's direction and was sure that Melissa had done the same thing. "Kellie, what the hell?" Darry cried out, knowing that they had just gotten caught.   
Kellie pointed to the ground with a shaking hand; sitting in front of where Kellie had been sitting was the spider, Charlotte, staring right at her, or so it looked. Darry blinked in surprise and kicked at the spider.   
Charlotte lifted its front two legs at her and bared its fangs; Darry drew back and stood up as well; it was at that moment that Darry remembered Melissa. Darry turned around and was not surprised to see Melissa standing there.   
"What the hell are you doing here?" Melissa asked, looking very not pleased.   
"Kellie, run." Darry whispered without looking over her shoulder. The second Kellie moved, Darry acted as though she was about to hit Melissa to keep the witch from striking her cousin.   
Melissa jerked back and then saw that Darry wasn't going to hit her. She, on the other hand, balled her hand into a fist and hit Darry in the face, splitting her lip.   
Darry recoiled and put her hands to her face; Melissa hit Darry again, with the back of her hand. One of her rings hit Darry's cheek and cut it open; Darry felt her cheek bleed.   
Melissa drew her hand away and saw that she had some of Darry's blood on her hand; before she could wipe it off, she was attacked from behind. Kellie ran up behind Melissa and hit her with a vase of flowers; the vase shattered and Melissa staggered forward.   
Darry looked at Melissa, who righted herself by putting a hand on the wall. Kellie was about to attack her again when she noticed the Charlotte was running toward her, like a dog. Kellie yelled and ran toward the front door; Darry decided that her cousin had the right idea and ran after her.   
Kellie pulled the door open and she and Darry ran into the hall, slamming the door behind them. Kellie collasped on the ground, though it was more of a mock collapse then a real one.   
"Well, that was the most fun I've had all day." She muttered, looking up at her cousin.   
Darry shook her head and smiled slightly at her cousin. 


	7. Life is a Cookie

Chapter Seven   
Life is a Cookie   
  
When Darry and Kellie returned to the Summers house, Oz was there in the kitchen with Buffy and Willow. When they entered the kitchen, the three looked up at them.   
"What happened to you?" Buffy asked, looking at Darry, who was still bleeding.   
Oz stood up and walked over to her. "Are you okay?" He asked and put his finger on her cheek, gently wiping the blood away.   
"Melissa's a witch." Kellie said before Darry could answer.   
"What?" Willow asked, surprise by Kellie's words.   
"Melissa, Riley's wife Melissa?" Buffy asked.   
"The very same." Kellie answered.   
"That's where you were, at Riley's apartment?" Oz asked, looking at Darry.   
"Yeah." She answered, looking at him.   
"What were you doing there?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what do you have in your hands?" She added, looking at Kellie.   
Kellie looked down to see that she still had Melissa's power journal in her hands. "See, this is proof that she's a witch." She said and handed Buffy the power journal.   
Buffy looked at it. "What is it?" She asked.   
Willow took it from her. "It's a power journal, where Wiccans write down spells and stuff, really neat spells." Willow said and flipped through the pages. Then, she dropped the book on the table like it was a hot iron.   
Oz wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening at the kitchen table, his eyes were focused on Darry, on her's on him. "I need to talk to you." Oz said and took her head. He led her out of the kitchen and out of the house; they started walking down the street and toward the park.   
"What is it?" Darry asked, when they had walked a little way.   
Oz looked at her and began to tell her about how Riley and the other commandos had captured him and decided to do tests on him. When he was finished, he looked at Darry, who was staring at him. She leaned forward and kissed him; Oz wrapped his arms around her waste and pressed his forehead against her's.  
When Oz broke the kiss, he looked at her, their heads still together. "I just don't want Riley to do the same thing to you, or Melissa." Oz said.   
"Oz, I'll be careful, I don't think Riley's a commando guy anymore and if Melissa really is a witch then Buffy can take care of her." Darry said, smiling at him.   
"I know, it's just I don't want to lose you again." Oz said. "Darry...I love you."   
Darry could feel her face blanch but she hoped that Oz didn't see; she felt her mouth go dry and her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth.   
Oz seemed slightly shaken and surprised by Darry's lack of response. "Um, now would be the time to say something." Oz said, attempting to smile and not look as shaken as he felt.   
Darry pulled away from him and stepped back. "I'm sorry, but I can't love you." Darry whispered and turned on her heels. She ran away from Oz, leaving him standing bewildered in the middle of the park.   
  
Darry ran all the way back to the Summers house, not sure what emotion she was feeling at the moment; no tears fell, for she wasn't sure if she felt like crying, she wasn't angry at Oz, or at anyone.   
She opened the kitchen door and walked inside, happy the kitchen was empty; in the living room she could hear Dawn and Buffy talking and she was sure that Willow was sitting the couch. She was, however, sure that Kellie wasn't in the room because if she knew her cousin, Kellie would be talking and interrupting everyone else.   
Darry headed upstairs toward the attic room she shared with Kellie; inside, her cousin was folding clothes and putting them in her dresser draws.   
When Darry entered the room, Kellie looked up. "Hey, Darry, where did you go with Oz?" Kellie asked.   
Darry didn't answer and walked over to her bed; she sat down on her bed and looked up at Kellie. "Oz said...Oz said that he loved me." Darry said, not showing any expression when she said these words.   
Kellie looked at Darry. "And what did you say?" Kellie asked, walking over to where her cousin sat.   
Darry glanced over to her, as Kellie sat down. "I didn't say anything; well exactly I told him no." Darry answered.   
"You told him no?" Kellie asked, surprised more then anything.   
"Well not exactly but I didn't say I loved him back." Darry answered.   
Kellie put her hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Do you love him?" Kellie asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"Yes." Darry whispered, not looking at Kellie.   
"But you told him that you didn't." Kellie said. She cleared her throat and said, "Darry, there is this saying: 'life is a cookie.'" Kellie said.   
"What the hell does that mean?" Darry asked, once again showing no emotion in her words.   
"It means you have to take chances, live life before it becomes stale, or something like that, I don't know." Kellie answered. "You can't be afraid to love him." She added.   
Darry suddenly burst into tears and buried her head in her hands. "I'm not afraid to love him; all my life, I've never loved anyone because I knew something bad would happen to that person if I did. I loved my mother and she was killed and I loved my father until he turned evil. I don't want anything to happen to Oz." Darry sobbed.   
Kellie put her arms around her cousin and hugged her. "It's okay, Darry, nothing will happen to Oz if you love him." Kellie soothed.   
Darry looked up. "But now, Oz thinks I don't love him, it's no use anymore." Darry cried. Kellie had no idea what she meant by that but she didn't question her cousin's words.   
  
Melissa Finn threw all the objects off her table in a angry rage; the little bitch Darry and her cousin must have taken her power journal because it was now missing. They know knew she was a witch; no matter, she would get rid of them.   
Melissa turned to pick up another spell book and noticed that she still had some of Darry's blood on the back of her hand. She cursed again and walked back over to her table; one of her bottles with open and knocked over. The liquid inside had spilled on the table.   
Melissa quickly grabbed the bottle and set it upright, hoping that there was enough liquid left in the bottle left to preform her spell. Tomorrow night was the night the spell had to be preformed, however she didn't have the 'main ingredient' of the spell. Without that 'ingredient' she couldn't preform the spell; she needed the blood of a virgin werewolf.   
She had to admit, when Riley had said they were moving back to Sunnydale she wasn't as upset as she let on because she knew, or thought, that there was surely one werewolf in this freak town. However, she hadn't found a single werewolf at all, let alone a virgin werewolf.   
To preform the spell, she would mix the blood with the potion in the bottle and the spell would begin; she would once again be her old self.   
Melissa corked the bottle and put her hand on the table; when she set her hand down, her palm rested on the liquid in the bottle. Cursing again, she jerked her hand up, getting some of the liquid on the back of her hand.   
When the liquid touched her hand there was a slight spark and Melissa felt a surge of power run through her body. She looked down to see that the liquid had fallen on the blood on the back of her hand. Darry's blood.   
Melissa grinned. "So, the werewolf in Sunnydale after all; she has been under my nose this whole time." Melissa grinned. Tomorrow night, she would be her old self. 


	8. That Vision Thingy

Chapter Eight   
The Vision Thing   
  
  
  
The next day, Kellie made sure not to over sleep so she didn't miss anything. In the bed across the room, Darry slept on, regardless of the sun streaming through the windows and the general noise that was going on outside. Kellie decided not to wake Darry up because her cousin had had a hard enough time going to sleep last night and by the looks of things, Darry wasn't exactly dreaming of hugs and puppies.   
After getting dressed, Kellie went downstairs to join Buffy and Willow; Dawn had already gone off to school but her dishes were still on the table where she had sat.   
"So, what's new in Sunnydale?" Kellie asked as she sat down.   
"Well, tomorrow is the first night of being a werewolf for Darry and Oz." Willow pointed out.   
Buffy looked up from reading the paper. "What's up with you?" Buffy asked.   
"Nothing." Kellie answered. "Can have the comic section? I just love to cut out the 'Mutts' comic." She grinned.   
  
Later that day, Darry awoke; it wasn't that much later but Darry wasn't one to oversleep. She quickly changed and went downstairs, finding that the house was empty. On the kitchen table was a note written by Kellie: "Darry, went to the store be back soon: Willow, Buffy and Me."   
Darry sat down at the kitchen table and then decided to make a sandwich; she decided it would be best to keep her mind off Oz, doing whatever it took to do that, as hard as it was.   
As she took the bread out of the bread box, there was a knock at the front door. Darry left the kitchen and walked through the living room toward the front door.   
Darry opened the door and was very surprised to see Melissa standing on the porch. Before Darry could re-act, Melissa reached forward and grabbed her; the witch clamped a hand over Darry's mouth and wrapped the other one around her neck, putting her in a choke-hold.   
"You're coming with me, werewolf." Melissa hissed in Darry's ear.   
Darry thrashed in Melissa's grip but it was no use; Darry couldn't understand why she couldn't get away from Melissa. Then it hit her, the girl had put a spell on her, keeping her from getting away. Darry didn't know exactly what Melissa had in mind for her but she did know it wasn't good.   
  
Darry opened her eyes and shook her head; she had no clue what had happened but she guessed that somewhere along the way (way to where?) Melissa had knocked her out because she woke up with a huge headache.   
Blinking and looking around, Darry saw that she was in the 'magick room' that she and Kellie had found at the back of the Finn's apartment. She looked up and saw that she was hanging on a crudely made hook, bound with shackles made from thorn vines. She could see her blood running down her wrists from the cuts made by the thorns, which dug into her skin. She noticed that the arms had been torn off her shirt; looking down she saw that her pants had been ripped off below the knees and her ankles were bound together with the same thorn-vines. Blood ran onto her toenails and onto the floor.   
She was unable to move and hung up like some sacfrice, which was exactly what she guessed she was. At the table where she and Kellie had found Melissa's power journal, Melissa stood with her back to her, working with something on the table.   
"Excuse me, Mrs. Witch women?" Darry said, barely finding the voice to speak. "What exactly do you plan to do with me?" She asked.   
Melissa turned around. "Silence." She commanded. "You will know soon enough." She hissed.   
Darry frowned and attempted to free herself but the thorns just cut deeper into her skin. "You will know soon enough, when the sun goes down; that is very soon." Melissa said and turned away from Darry.   
Darry sighed and wondered just how long away dusk was.   
  
Back at the Summers house, Kellie found it very weird that Darry wasn't there.   
"She probably went somewhere with Oz." Buffy pointed out, not understanding why Kellie was so anxious about Darry not being there.   
"Yeah but she didn't even leave a note; we left a note." Kellie moaned. "And it's almost dark." She added.   
"So, Darry can take care of herself. I'm sure she's with Oz or something." Buffy muttered.   
Kellie looked out the window, the sun was beginning to set in the distance. "You're probably right, she probably went to go talk to Oz." Kellie agreed.   
The kitchen door opened and Oz stepped in, looking a mix between confused and upset, as well as worried. He looked around the kitchen and then looked at Kellie, looking even more confused. "Where's Darry?" Oz asked.   
"You mean she's not with you?" Kellie asked, glancing over at Buffy.   
"No, I haven't seen her since last night; she's not here?" Oz asked and stepped into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.   
"No, we thought she was with you." Buffy said and stood up walking over to Oz.   
"I wonder where she could possibly be." Kellie said. The second the words escape her lips, Kellie's face paled and she went rigid. She would have collasped on the ground but Oz caught her before she fell.   
"What's wrong with her?" Dawn asked, fear filling her voice and replacing the confused look on her face.   
Kellie began to have what looked like convulsions; Oz held her so she didn't hurt herself. "What's going on?" Oz asked, calm and looking up at Buffy.   
Suddenly, Kellie stopped moving and looked up at Oz and then at Buffy. "Ow." She said and tears trickled down her cheeks. "That really hurt." She muttered.   
"What happened?" Buffy asked, getting on her knees beside Kellie and Oz.   
"I don't know but Darry's in trouble." Kellie said and sat up slowly.   
"How do you know?" Buffy asked at the same time Oz said, "What kind of trouble?"   
"I saw it." Kellie answered. "She's in Riley and Melissa's apartment I think and Melissa's going to hurt her or do something really bad. And there's another witch or something, one that looks more powerful then Melissa and that stupid spider was there too, only there were a lot of them." Kellie said, drawing the words out as though she was trying to remember something. "And Melissa has blood in this clay jar, pot thing; she has a bloody knife too." Kellie added.   
Oz helped Kellie to her feet and Buffy could easily tell that Oz was worried about Darry.   
Willow moved from her spot at the kitchen table, where she had the phone in her hand ready to call a doctor if Kellie didn't 'get better'. "You didn't read Melissa's power journal did you?" Willow asked.   
"No, why?" Kellie asked, looking over at Willow.   
"In her journal, she had a spell written about getting the blood of a virgin werewolf so that she could 'regain the power she lost'. I didn't mention it because I...you know." Willow said, blushing slightly but then returning to her normal color, only slightly paler. "Do you think Melissa is going to use Darry's blood?" Willow asked.   
Buffy frowned. "Well, I guess we can't rule that out." She muttered, glancing over at Oz. "When is this spell supposed to take place?" Buffy asked, looking at Willow.   
"Tonight." Willow answered.   
"Looks like we have to go to Riley's apartment; whether Melissa has Darry or not, we can't just wait to see what happens. If there really is this powerful witch that Kellie 'saw' then we might need to have all the help we can; Willow, get Anya and Xander here and we need Spike, I guess." Buffy muttered the last part.   
"I'll get the weapons." Dawn said and rushed to the hall closet.   
"Okay, well, lets get ready and go." Buffy agreed. 


	9. That Ol' Black Magick

Chapter Nine   
That Ol' Black Magick   
  
  
Darry let her chin rest on her chest, tired of holding it up and watching Melissa do nothing at all but move around in front of her table and gather things. She realized that no one had the first idea where she was or even that she was in trouble; she stood a nothing chance of getting found by anyone.   
She was less worried about her and was more worried about what would happen once Melissa became 'her old self', whatever that was. Lifting her head again, Darry watched Melissa pick up a clay bowl that had strange designs carved into the clay. She also reached onto the table and picked up a knife with jagged sides, Melissa gripped onto a bone handle.   
Darry jerked slightly, sucking in a breath without realizing it. "Don't worry, Darry, the time hasn't come yet." Melissa said and ran her finger tip along the blade of the knife. She held the knife up to Darry's heart but was careful not to press too hard. "But when the time comes I will enjoy plunging this into your heart and ripping it out." Melissa hissed.   
  
Buffy loaded another bolt into the last crossbow in the weapon's chest and handed it to Kellie. "There are some more arrows in the chest, a quiver; if you need me to..." Buffy began but Kellie cut her off.   
"I know how to work and load a crossbow." Kellie said with a smile and held the crossbow up. "Let's just find Darry and get this over with." Kellie said.   
Spike lifted his own crossbow and put a bolt into it. "Yeah, do you have a bloody plan Slayer?" Spike asked.   
"Yeah, get Darry, fight if we have to. Try not to make this an apcolypic thing okay." Buffy said with a grin.   
"Well, I don't wanna fight, I wanna go home and have more sex. Xander and I were about to have sex when you called." Anya moaned.   
"Now, Aun, honey, Buffy and the others don't want to hear about that." Xander said with a shaky voice and put his hand on Anya's shoulder.   
Buffy raised an eyebrow but didn't give them any more of her attention. "Alright, let's go." Buffy said.   
"Are we sure we need all these weapons? I mean, Darry might not even be there are all." Dawn muttered.   
"No, she's there I can tell." Oz said, speaking up for the first time since Spike, Anya and Xander had arrived. "And she's afraid." He added.   
"Let's go." Buffy said and unsheathed her sword. "It's been a long time since I've had a good fight." She added.  
"Yeah, a whole day." Willow muttered with a smile.   
  
In apartment B6, Riley began to notice something very wrong as soon as the sun set. He was in the kitchen when he heard a strange rumbling noise; looking up, he found he was no longer looking into his living room. Instead, his apartment (or what he thought was his apartment) had become a vast hallway. He walked out of the 'kitchen' and to where the door still stood against the smooth rock like wall that had become part of the hallway. Riley opened the door and peered outside; the hallway had undergone the same transformation his apartment had. The hallway was like a large cavern with smaller tunnels appearing and disappearing all along the cavern.   
Riley felt his eyes go wide as he shut the door and turned around. "This is not good." He muttered and looked around.   
  
All through the apartment complex, people were finding that they were no longer in their own apartments. Some got out, able to get their bearings; others were eaten by things that had taken residence in the cavern that the apartment complex had become.   
From her place on the crudely made 'alter', Darry could hear people screaming from pain, fear and confusion. She knew that what ever Melissa had in mind had already begun to take place.   
  
Buffy looked up at the apartment complex that Riley lived in and tried to figure out if they had the right place. The apartment complex no longer looked like a building at all; it was more like a large mountain with windows and sometimes the windows shifted and Buffy caught sight of a person or a door.   
"Okay, I don't think this is a building." Anya said and pointed her crossbow at the building. "Darry's not in there; let's go home and have sex." Anya said to Xander.   
"Anya, honey, later." Xander said, blushing slightly at the behavior of the ex-demon. "It's not right, at the moment, to like sex so much." He added, muttering the words to her.   
"See, this is exactly what Halfrek said you'd do, always correct me and say you're better then me." Anya exclaimed, waving the crossbow around.   
"Anya, honey, that's not what I was-" Xander began but Buffy cut them off.   
"Can you guys do this later? That mountain this is not normal so I'm betting this is our place." Buffy said.   
"What are we waiting for?" Oz asked and tightened his fingers around the Quartering Staff in his hands. He couldn't help but remember that this was the weapon that Darry had used when they went into battle with Eric, her father.   
"Yeah, what are we waiting for? Let's charge in there like sodding soldiers and get our arses blown to hell and back, that's a bloody good plan." Spike said, looking at Oz and Buffy. "Has it occurred to either of you that we are obviously dealing with a very powerful witch if you can turn a whole building into a mountain." Spike asked.   
Buffy seemed to think about Spike's words, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of her sword. Oz, however, had had enough with talking and turned to Spike. "Look, I don't care what you think okay, Darry's in the mountain with that witch and-" Oz began but Spike cut him off.   
"Look, I know that your girlfriend's inside but you're not gonna help her by charging in there and getting killed." Spike said, attempting to be calm and rational and supportive.   
"Oz, as much as I hate to admit it, Spike is right; the only way to go about this is sensible and what the hell am I saying, I've never been sensible before. Let's go, there is no way to be sensible to go about this." Buffy said and raised her sword in the air like Braveheart. "Okay, let's go." She agreed.   
  
Inside the apartment complex looked as though it never had been an apartment complex. However, there were still pieces of furniture pressed against stone walls; it gave the place a totally surreal look.   
"Okay, this is going to be so not fun I can't even begin to tell you how not fun this will be." Kellie said, talking in circles and tightening her grip on the butt of her crossbow.   
"How are we going to find Darry in a place like this?" Xander asked, looking around. Tunnels/ halls moved around and switched spots at the blink of an eye, as though someone was moving cards around.   
"Great." Buffy muttered. "I'd say we should split up but I'm sure that's not a good idea." She added.   
"Darry's doomed." Anya said and begin to pull at Xander's shirt. "Let's have sex anyway." She said and leaned up to kiss him.   
Xander pushed her away. "Look, Anya, even if you don't like Darry, she's still a friend of mine. As much as I'd like to, I am not going to have sex with you now." He told her.   
"Fine!" Anya yelled. "That's just fine with me." She growled and pulled off her engagement ring. "Take that!" She yelled and threw it at him. She took off running down one of the halls, which closed up behind her.   
"Anya!" Xander yelled and rushed at the wall. "Damn it!" He yelled when he couldn't get through. "Damn it, Buffy, do something!" Xander yelled.   
The building began to rumbled. "Xander, just calm down, alright; we have to think this through." Buffy said.   
The floor beneath them began to crack and Buffy nearly lost her footing. "This is not going to be good." Buffy muttered.   
  
Melissa looked around and grinned as the building began to shake; bottles and glasses fell onto the floor and shattered, spilling their contents. "It has begun, it is time." Melissa said and pulled the jagged blade knife out of her pocket.   
Darry tried to jerk back again and attempted to pull away from Melissa's advances. Melissa reached up and slapped Darry across the face. "There's nothing you can do to get away." Melissa hissed and grabbed Darry's head tightly in her hand.   
Darry attempted to snap at Melissa put Melissa gripped her jaw too tightly for her to even move her mouth.   
"Where should I cut you first?" Melissa asked, clearing enjoying what she was about to do. She lifted the knife and slid the blade along Darry's cheek, cutting deeply. "Here?" She asked and grinned when Darry's face contorted in pain.   
Melissa let go of Darry and pulled the knife away from Darry's cheek. "Enough play; I have an essence to get back." Melissa said. She picked up the clay bowl and grinned. "Now, darling, do you think you can survive while I fill this bowl? I hope you do so I can have the pleasure of seeing the look on your face when I rip your beating heart from your body." Melissa grinned.   
Darry didn't give Melissa the satisfaction of seeing her wince or even see the fear in her eyes. "Then do it, but the only look you'll see on my face is vexation." Darry spat.   
  
The hall that Anya had run into was long, dark and not full of friendly things, Anya discovered as she wandered down the tunnel, wishing she hadn't run away from Xander. Xander wasn't second guessing her or tell her that she was wrong, he was right about Darry; Darry was her friend too and she should try to rescue her. Even if it meant that she would have to wait to be with Xander.   
Before Anya could think, the floor opened up under her and she fell into another room; as Anya blinked her eyes she realized it was like being in a fun house, with trick hall ways and trap doors.   
The room she was in now was small and had no way out, like a small box; however, Anya could sense that there was something else in the room with her, something not good. Something that she figured would kill her and all she had was a crossbow.   
Lurking in the corner of the room was a large spotted cat that Anya thought she had seen in a book before. The cat paced back and forth, looking at her through yellow eyes. Watching the cat, Anya remembered where she had seen it; when she was cleaning out some of Giles's out books there was one entitled: "Magickal animals of South America". The jaguar, or something like that, was said to mean dark power and shape-shifting; this cat must be a jaguar, in the book the jaguar had spots. Anya saw this cat had stops too so it must be the same thing.   
Could you kill a jaguar with a crossbow? Anya thought to herself and looked down at the bolt in her crossbow and then back up at the cat, which was getting closer to her. The jaguar was baring its teeth and growled at her, flexing its claws.   
"Oh Xander." Anya whined and watched as the jaguar flicked its tail at her, growling.   
  
"We have to find Anya." Xander said, looking over at Buffy.   
"And Darry." Buffy said. "And Melissa." She added.   
"What about Riley? What happened to Riley?" Willow asked, looking over at her friend.   
"Is Riley evil?" Buffy asked, looking over at Kellie without even realizing what she was doing.   
"I don't think so." Kellie answered.   
"Well, Riley is probably in the apartment, so if he's there he might be able to help us." Buffy said.   
"How are we going to get to the apartment in first place?" Spike asked.   
"Well, as much as I hate to say this, but I think we might have to split up. I'll go with Oz to try and find Riley and Melissa's apartment; Xander, you and Willow try and find Anya; Kellie and Spike can try and make sense of this place." Buffy said.   
"How are we supposed to do that?" Kellie asked but before anyone had a chance to say anything else, the room changed and a wall erected itself between Kellie, Spike and the rest of the group, leaving Buffy, Oz, Dawn, Willow and Xander apart from them.   
"Great." Buffy muttered. "Let's hope they can make sense of something." She added.   
"What am I going to do Buffy? You forgot about me." Dawn said, glaring at her sister.   
"You can come with us, Dawnyie." Willow said and put her arm around the girl's shoulder. "You can help us find Anya." Willow added.   
"Where are we supposed to start looking?" Xander asked, fingering the ring that he held between his fingers.   
"The same place we're going to start looking for Darry, wherever you feel like." Buffy answered.   
To their left, a tunnel appeared in the wall, as though telling one of the groups to enter it.   
"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is as good a place to start as any." Willow said and motioned to the tunnel.   
Xander, Willow and Dawn went into the tunnel; Buffy watched them disappear and was surprised when the tunnel didn't close after them.   
"Buffy, do you have any idea what we're going to do when we find Darry? And Melissa, who is powerful just like Spike said." Oz asked.   
"Kick her ass, just like always. No biggie." Buffy said and lifted her sword. "We have to find 'em first." She added.   
"I don't mean to put a damper on your butt kicking attitude but, if Melissa can do all this, what else do you think she can do?" Oz asked, looking at Buffy.   
"It's just that ol' black magick, I can handle it Oz." Buffy said with a smile. "At least I hope." She said. "Don't worry, we'll find Darry and she'll be alright." Buffy put her hand on Oz's shoulder.   
  
Melissa jabbed the knife into Darry's side and pulled it along her side, ripping the flesh. Darry jerked her head to the side and bit her lip until it bleed, not giving Melissa the pleasure of seeing the tears in her eyes; she kept herself from crying out, it was impossible to do so.   
Melissa nearly ripped the knife from one end of Darry's belly to the other but stopped as she reached the girl's gut. She pulled the knife out and let the blood drip onto her skin; Melissa seemed to spark with power as she wiped the blood along her hands and arms.   
She took the clay bowl and held it under Darry's wound, making sure that most of the blood dripped into the bowl. Darry felt as though her whole body had been thrown into a fire, every part of her body was alive with pain. Darry looked down at her stomach and the sight of Melissa collecting her blood in a clay bowl would stay with her for the rest of her life. At the moment, Darry didn't know how long her life would be.   
  
It look Riley a long time to find the chest in which the remainder of his weapons, guns mostly, were kept. He opened the trunk and pulled out a rifle, not his choice of weapon but he didn't really have a choice. He loaded a clip into it and shut the weapons trunk.   
He walked over to where the door of the apartment still stood on the wall and opened it; he peered into the 'hall' and was surprised to see two figures wandering around.   
"Hello, who's down there?" Riley called and wasn't sure if he should aim his gun or wait until he saw who was down there. If it was some person wandering around for help, it wouldn't do any good to shove his gun in their face.   
One of the figures turned to regard him and brandished what looked like a sword; Riley lifted his gun as well. The other figured looked at the one with the sword and said something, Riley could barely hear the words.   
"Riley?" One of the figures called and got closer. Once both figures were closer, Riley recongized them: Buffy and Oz and it was Buffy who had the sword. He should of know.   
"Buffy, what are you doing here?" Riley asked, lowering his weapon as Buffy came to stand nearly in front of him.   
"My job, your wife has got Darry and she's the one doing this; Melissa, not Darry." Buffy told him.   
"That's crazy." Riley snapped, though at the moment it wasn't really.   
"Where's your apartment?" Oz asked, looking around.   
Riley motioned behind him, to the door in the wall. "I don't know why my apartment hasn't moved or anything." Riley muttered.   
"Because that's where Melissa is." Buffy snapped, giving Riley a 'duh' face.   
"Why would Melissa have Darry?" Riley asked, looking at Buffy and then over at Oz.   
"She needs Darry's blood for a spell." Oz answered, not looking at Riley when he said the words.   
"Yep, just that ol' black magick at work again." Buffy muttered, looking at the door to Riley's apartment. "We'd better go in before the door disappears or something." She added.   
Riley turned around and pointed his weapon at the door for no reason. "Let's go." He muttered.   
  
When the bowl was nearly full, Melissa moved it away from Darry's stomach, staring at it like it where lost jewels. Darry lifted her head, slowly, to look at Melissa; Darry still felt like her body was on fire but now she couldn't think enough to register that fact.   
Melissa took the bowl back to her table and set the knife down. "Now I will become what I used to be." Melissa said without looking at Darry.   
"Oh, and what's that?" Darry asked, barely finding the voice.   
"I hoped you would ask before I killed you." Melissa said and turned back to Darry with a smile on her face.   
"You see, I am older then I look, in fact I am older then any of you could even guess; I am older then this world itself. When I was myself, my true self, I was the most feared 'person' in the, well there wasn't one but, world. I had to go and blow it all on losing my temper; I used to be a Goddess, if you haven't guess, Darry, but not a very good one. I had more power then Zeus, himself, could even hope to have; I would have done it, I would have destroyed the world had there been one. But, I was condemned to this horrible body; for eight thousand years I've been stuck a human, if I die, I just get another body. However, I finally found the spell that would reverse the effects of that curse; after waiting a thousand years I have finally found the most important ingredient: you." Melissa said, getting a semi-dreamy look on her face.   
"Now, I will become what I was before: the Goddess Belzeiac." Melissa said and with that put the clay bowl to her lips and tipped it. Almost instantly she began to surge with power. The clay bowl fell from her hands and shattered on the floor but Melissa, or what had been Melissa, didn't pay attention.   
She no longer looked like the same girl, or even looked like a person anymore; Melissa/Belzeiac seemed to shimmer with white light. Her hair grew long and fell down to her ankles; her veins seemed to pump with power and her eyes narrowed and became a ghastly red.   
Belzeiac fixed her eyes on Darry. "And now you will be the first to die." She said, her voice seeming to echo in Darry's head.   
Belzeiac raised her ghastly hands and sent a wave of magick, unlike any magick Darry had ever seen, at her; Darry felt the magick hit her body and she screamed with the pain of it, no longer caring if Melissa heard her or not.   
  
Inside what used to be Riley's apartment, the sound of Darry's screams reached Buffy, Riley and Oz's ears. "That's Darry." Oz whispered, looking over at Darry.   
Buffy tightened her grip on her sword and looked over at Riley. "Still need proof that Melissa is not the best of people?" Buffy asked, nearly spitting the words out.   
Riley led the way as they tried to follow the sound of Darry's voice; they came to a ripple in one of the stone walls that looked out of place, even in the 'mountain'.   
"I'm betting she's in there." Riley muttered.   
Buffy didn't wait for another second and charged through the rippled in the wall, holding her sword high. Oz went in after her, followed by Riley.   
Buffy looked around the room they were in, it was just how Kellie described it when Oz and Darry had left the house the night before. Buffy saw a ghost like, yet solid, figure standing toward the far wall of the room. Electricity seemed to came from the figure's fingers.   
"Okay, didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with electricity 'cause you'll just get a big shock out of it?" Buffy asked, trying to make her voice sound as casual as possible.   
The ghost figure turned around and it was then that Buffy saw Darry hanging from the crude hook, bleeding from a large gash in her stomach. It was her friend that Belzeiac had been 'firing' the electricity at.   
"Darry." Oz whispered at her side and slightly took a step forward.   
Belzeiac frowned as she saw Buffy, Oz and Riley. "I didn't call for visitors." She hissed.   
Buffy guessed that the figure was really Melissa and the spell had already taken place, due to the gash in Darry's stomach.   
Darry lifted her head, and Buffy could tell that it took her a lot of effort just to look at them. "Oz." Darry said, though she wasn't sure if she was mouthing the words or if they had just come out of her mouth.   
"You got what you wanted, let her go." Oz commanded, looking at Melissa/ Belzeiac without the slightest trace of fear on his face.   
Belzeiac laughed, a sound that sent chills through Buffy; Belzeiac reached to her side and picked up the blood coated knife from off the table. She reached up and cut Darry free of her thorn-vine binds and held Darry in a choke hold, holding Darry against her body.   
"You can have her back, but I wasn't 'joking' when I said she would the first to die." Melissa said and locked eyes with Oz. Without blinking, Melissa took the knife and plunged it into Darry's chest. To Buffy, Oz and Riley, it looked like Melissa had just stabbed Darry in the heart; if they had looked closer, Melissa had plunged the knife into Darry's right shoulder bone, shattering the bone and nearly breaking it in half. Melissa didn't realize her own mistake until she had pulled the knife free of Darry's body; either way, Darry had fallen into a pain induced stupor and was limp in Melissa's arms.   
Melissa threw Darry to ground like she was nothing more then a soiled sheet of paper. Oz lifted the Quartering Staff and charged at Melissa; without much trouble, like she was flicking a fly away, Melissa threw Oz away from her with a burst of magick.   
Oz was knocked to the ground beside Darry, it felt as though the wind had been knocked out of his body; he dropped the Quartering Staff when he landed. Oz looked up to see Buffy and Riley charging Melissa at the same time, hoping to keep her from striking at them.   
Oz looked over at Darry's body and instantly felt tears from in his eyes; it couldn't be, she couldn't die again, not after he had just gotten her back. He got to his knees and cradled her body, just as he had done when her father killed her barely a month ago.   
He barely felt the tears fall down his cheeks; he closed his eyes and shut out the sounds of the battle around him. Oz didn't feel the shaking fingers brush his tears off his cheek but he did feel Darry move in his arms.   
Oz opened his eyes and looked down to see Darry looking at him, attempting to get into a sitting position and hurting herself doing it. When she saw that he was looking at her, Darry attempted to smile. "Oh Oz, so serous." Darry whispered and wiped his tears away.   
"Darry, I thought...you're not..." Oz said, unable to finish his sentences.   
Darry opened her mouth to speak but Buffy let out a cry of shock and pain and both Oz and Darry turned to face her direction. It was when she turned her head that Darry realized that she had no feeling in her right arm; looking down, she saw her shoulder torn open and could tell that her shoulder bone was nearly broken all the way through.   
Buffy was flung against a wall the second she hit Melissa with her sword; Riley took Buffy's place and opened fire on who used to be his wife. "Fools, you can't kill me." Melissa laughed.   
"There has to be some way to kill her." Oz whispered.   
"She said that she had been imprisoned by a curse, I wish there was some way to imprison her again." Darry muttered.   
"Maybe there is." Oz muttered. "Does she have a spell book or anything like that?" Oz asked.   
"I have no clue." Darry answered.   
Buffy leapt at Melissa again and drove the sword into her body, into her stomach; close to her sword point was a glowing orb like object.   
"Wait a second, maybe she gets her power from somewhere." Darry muttered. "That orb thing, maybe that's the center of her power." Darry said, looking up at Oz.   
"Buffy!" Oz yelled, causing all three of the battlers to look over at him. "That orb thing is the center of her power!" He told her.   
"Well, I wasn't sure, I was just thinking out loud." Darry muttered but Buffy swung her sword at the 'orb' in Melissa's stomach.   
The witch screamed as the sword hit the orb and shattered it; Melissa disappeared in a flash of light but Darry doubted that she was gone for ever. After all, the witch had lived for over eight thousand years, Darry doubted that Melissa would give up that easily.   
Once Melissa was gone, the building began to shake a crumble. "We really have to get out of here." Buffy muttered and nearly dropped her sword.   
Oz stood up and slowly helped Darry to her feet; the four of them exited the room, a little slowly then they would have liked because Darry wasn't exactly in the best condition.   
"Where is everyone else?" Darry asked, looking over at Buffy.   
  
Anya blinked as the jaguar disappeared and she appeared back in the front office; she was even more surprised to see Xander, Willow and Dawn there as well. Kellie and Spike were on the floor, and Spike was in the process of taking off his shirt while Kellie kissed him. When everyone else appeared in the room, Kellie quickly pulled away and looked at them.   
Willow looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Kellie flushed. "You see, it was...we were just...we thought the world was going to end and..." Kellie paused when the building began to fall apart, chunks of the ceiling fell to the ground. "Let's get out of here." Kellie snapped and jumped to her feet.   
Spike, Kellie, Willow, Xander, Anya and Dawn looked around to see that the apartment complex looked like an apartment complex again. It was easy to find the front door and make an undignified exit.   
It was also easy for Buffy, Riley, Oz and Darry to find their way out of the builing as well; the four joined the other memembers of the Scooby Gang outside the apartment complex. Kellie gushed over Darry, and how she was still alive; the Scooby Gang and Riley watched the apartment complex collaspe in front of them.   
"Well, I must say that I've never knocked a whole building down before." Buffy muttered.   
"What about that time we blew up the school?" Xander asked. Buffy ignored him and turned. "Let's just go home, shall we?" Buffy suggested. "Have I told you how much I hate Sunnydale?" She muttered to no one as they walked away.   
  
  
  
Fin. 


End file.
